HF "Automatic Battery Float Charger"

[rburke65]

Hi Guys....and Gals! I have bought 5 or 6 of the HF $5.... $10 battery chargers and have used them without issues but have wondered if anyone out there has encountered any issues or problems with these chargers. I was told that the Battery Tenders were better..$.. And would hotter your batteries. Comments....? As always, Thanks in advance.

 

[txvwnut]

Got one hangin on my scoot. I haven't tried to start it yet and see if the battery is up, haven't had much time for it lately and with all my landscaping projects around here it's trapped in the garage.

 

[xyster101]

I gag one of those HF specials and it did not work. I bought a $30 TSC one.
If it works keep it.

 

[Matt M PA]

I can't comment on the HF ones, but I have several of the $20 Schumachers from Walmart. They work very well...

 

[MattVette89]

In my experience they were good for one season. I had to replace a battery due to one dying and taking the battery with it. One died on my dad's battery, as well, but we were able to recharge that one. If you use it one winter and toss it, fine, otherwise buy a Schumacher or equivalent.

I have this now:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AXTUY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Want2race]

I had one and it didn't do what I hoped. I then went to the battery tender. No regrets

 

[Wood'nMetal]

Yep, I've had a couple and they've gave up after weeks to a few months.

 

[csp]

Which one is the $10 version? HF has several float chargers and I don't recall the prices on them.

 

[olytdi]

Battery Tenders are cheap on Ebay and work reliably. You essentially get what you pay for here.

 

[aafadca]

I've had 2 or 3 for a few years and they're still working. (As of about a month a ago). Just make your battery is fully charged before you connect it.

 

[risc]

Had one, didn't work to keep a motorcycle battery alive over the winter. Now I have 4 or 5 battery tender jrs. that work great.

 

[Showkey]

It you look around the HF chargers do not get good reviews. Under charging or over charging are both bad news.


You get what you pay for in SMART battery chargers. Spend a little more a get a real charger, maintainer, float and conditioner. Many of the higher end battery system have auto charge profiles that raise the voltage high but drop the current to MA for desulfating.

Some chargers are smarter than others.

 

[BearsFan315]

I own a Battery Tender Plus 6v version [021-0144] for my 1929, it is a 6v. It works great and never had any issues with it. Most of the Guys in the club have one and have for years. Especially when the car sits for the winter months. Also Battery Tender uses a 4 Stage/ Cycle Charge vs either a 2 or 3 stage. this better conditions the battery.

Some of the Guys use Battery Butler

Either way you go seems to make the battery last longer and stay conditioned, especially when NOT in use !! Also I was told to stay away from Trickle Charges, and get a True Float Charger/ Maintainer !!

I did talk to Deltran [Battery Tender] Tech as I switched from a standard 6v lead acid to an Optima Red Top AGM Style, and their charges will work no issues.

 

[Frank Dukes]

Got one hangin on my scoot. I haven't tried to start it yet and see if the battery is up, haven't had much time for it lately and with all my landscaping projects around here it's trapped in the garage.

i would advise against that sir... AGM batteries are a big no no for those chargers. read the box.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

I have 8 of the Battery Tender Jr's, the newest is 3-4 years old, the oldest close to 9-10 years old. All work flawlessly and I consider them worth more than the extra money that I paid for them.

A cheap battery maintainer won't save you the cost of a new battery, and if it fails and ruins the battery, then you need to buy both a new maintainer AND a new battery.



JBP


.

 

[rburke65]

I Just have heard cautionary tales of HF chargers but theywere coming from a person selling the Battery Tenders. I have both and have not had issues with either. "if it fails"...but I was looking for "reals" rather than "ifs".

 

[SMKS]

I used one of the HF tenders on one of our cars all winter and it worked great.

 

[Toxictom]

I bought one of the HF ones and noticed that they'd took a marker and blacked out the wording about using them on AGM batteries on all the ones on the shelf.

 

[chris142]

I had 2 and both smoked my batteries. One was a group 27

 

[langss]

I have used them for years on all the cars I have long term parked. The Batteries usually pass on from time. I never had one damage a battery, and have re used the charger even after the battery had died from old age and I failed to notice. Just my .02.

 

[Chris4x4Gill2]

The HF ones are ****. I bought two, one for an ATV, the other for a jetski. Both batteries dead as can be next time i checked them.

 

[redblurr302]

The HF one I had.. got sooo HOT I was afraid to use it. Switched to Battery Tender.

 

[Super Mech]

I've only used a Yuasa brand one and had a battery on it for 10 years!! You read it right 10 years. Got in the car, a few cranks and it started right up. A fried of mine has a couple of the HF ones and he has had no trouble for the last two winters.

 

[38Chevy454]

I have several of the cheap HF maintainers and they all keep the batteries up. Key point is they are a maintainer, not charger. Never had one kill a battery, just the opposite, keeps the battery from going bad. I have one outside on my tractor, keeps it charged and ready even in cold of winter. It is protect from the weather, but exposed to the temps.

 

[ezover]

I have 8 of the Battery Tender Jr's, the newest is 3-4 years old, the oldest close to 9-10 years old. All work flawlessly and I consider them worth more than the extra money that I paid for them.

A cheap battery maintainer won't save you the cost of a new battery, and if it fails and ruins the battery, then you need to buy both a new maintainer AND a new battery.



JBP
.

^^^^^^ this!!
bought 2 HF tenders and tossed them after a couple of months.

a cheap tender that i worry about burning my barn down all the time was not worth saving 10 bucks per unit.

 

[raffaelli]

I have a few of the cheap HF floaters -on my racecar,M3, trailer and lawn mower. Been using them for two winters. No issues.

 

[Kev442]

I have and use them. They work on car batteries fine but I don't like them for smaller batteries, they overcharge those and boil the water off. If it is getting hot, the battery was low on charge when it was installed. That goes away after a day. I have one battery tender and they are far superior, so I will eventually buy more.

 

[weadjust]

I don't like them for smaller batteries, they overcharge those and boil the water off.

That's what happened when I used a HF float charger on an ATV/Motorcycle battery. So I stopped using them.

 

[801cdw]

I wanted a solar option for my '48 Chevy truck with a 6volt system. I went went with a NOCO Battery Life BLSOLAR2 2.5 Watt Solar Battery Charger and Maintainer (Amazon $22) with a NOCO XGrid FLEX6V 6V 2A Flex Regulator (Amazon $16).
Without the 6V regulator connected the panel provides 12volts which I found convenient to use the maintainer on other items beside my truck.
I started using this system in Nov of 2014 and it worked great stuck to the windshield of the truck in the carport. I highly suggest it!

 

[iagsxr]

I Just have heard cautionary tales of HF chargers but theywere coming from a person selling the Battery Tenders. I have both and have not had issues with either. "if it fails"...but I was looking for "reals" rather than "ifs".

I bought half a dozen before the winter of 2008. Since then one has gone bad.

My 05 GSXR has the original battery in it. My 86 GSXR has the battery I put in it in the spring of 2008. They're both on HF float chargers unless I'm riding them.

I had a 75 Suzuki with a dinky battery, you know the ones that are normally good for one season? In the winter it was stored in an unheated, uninsulated building. I think the battery was four years old when I sold it. On a HF float charger all winter.

YRMV

 

[Vettman]

I've use the HF and the $20.00 Schumacher from Walmart. They both worked well, but I switched to solar. My Corvette has a high parasitic drain and sometimes isn't driven for several weeks. The Optima would drain to below 11 volts without help of a "maintainer". The Schumacher drew a constant 15 watts on a fully charged battery. Not a lot of current, but it's always on and the sun is free!

 

[SweetD]

I've been using the Schumacher tenders on my two marine 12V batteries during the off-season (about 6 months per year) for several years now and have had no problems at all. They sit on a shelf in my garage. I got them at Walmart.

Dave

 

[redmondjp]

The problem with the wall-wart HF types is that the red LED on that plastic box that the leads come out of will stay powered by the 12V battery if the AC power is lost.

That will eventually lead to a battery that reads 0.0VDC. I still use the HF ones, but I keep a close eye on them. Battery tender or Schumacher are of higher quality, although Shumacher like most manufacturers has gone to China now so I'm not sure their quality is the same as it used to be.

 

[huttojb216]

Had one on my Studebaker all winter in Michigan...worked great!